NATIONAL NEWS

Gujarat Village’s Inland Mangrove to Be State’s First Biodiversity Heritage Site

The 78-hectare areaof Guneri village in Lakhtar tehsil, Kutch district, has been declared as Gujarat's first Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS).

The site is a natural inland mangrove area.

The Gujarat governmentmade the announcement based on a recommendation from the Gujarat Biodiversity Board.

The declaration aims to ensure the conservation and enrichmentof the area's flora and fauna through a management plan.

The announcement was made under the provisions of The Biodiversity Act, 2002.

The Act allows the state governmentto notify an area as a BHS after consulting local bodies.

Unlike typical mangroves found along sludgy sea coastsaccessed daily by seawater, the Guneri mangrove site is unique.

It is located 45 km from the Arabian Seaand 4 km from the Kori Creek, where seawater never reaches.

The site is devoid of sludgeand is spread over a flat, forest-like piece of land.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

United Kingdom To Become 1st Country To Criminalise Artificial Intelligence Child Abuse Tool

The United Kingdom will be the first country to introduce laws against AI-generated sexualised images of children.

The law makes it illegal to possess, create, or distribute AI tools that generate abusive images, with punishments up to five years in prison.

Possessing AI "paedophile manuals" that teach how to use AI for child abuse will be a crime punishable by up to three years in prison.

Running websites for paedophiles to share child abuse content or grooming advice will be punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper highlighted that AI is accelerating online child sexual abuse and grooming.

A UK inquiry estimated that 500,000 children are victims of some form of abuse each year, with online abuse growing rapidly.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) reported 3,512 AI-generated child abuse images found on a single dark web site in 30 days.

The most serious category of AI child abuse images increased by 10% in one year, according to the IWF.

Cooper called for other countries to follow the UK’s lead in tackling AI-generated child abuse content.

 

BANKING

Airtel Payments Bank Teams Up with Karnataka Bulldozers

Airtel Payments Bank has partnered with the Karnataka Bulldozers for the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL) 2025.

Airtel Payments Bank will co-sponsor the team and promote safe digital banking solutions to fans across India.

The partnership highlights Airtel Payments Bank’s focus on providing simple, safe, and rewarding banking services, while promoting the passion and energy of the Karnataka Bulldozers.

The team's dynamic playstyle mirrors the fast and efficient services offered by Airtel Payments Bank to millions of customers.

CCL 2025 will begin on 8 February 2025, combining cricket and entertainment.

Through this partnership, Airtel Payments Bank aims to engage millions of cricket fans nationwide and reinforce its position as a trusted digital banking partner.

 

BUSINESS

L & T Finance Limited Launches Knowledgeable AI (KAI)

L&T Finance Limited (LTF) has launched Knowledgeable AI (KAI), an AI-powered virtual advisor on its redesigned website for home loans.

KAI aims to simplify the home loan journey, especially for first-time buyers, by addressing challenges like complex terminology and lengthy processes.

The AI tool uses advanced Large Language Model (LLM) technology to offer personalized home loan guidance, including EMI calculations, loan estimates, and expert answers.

KAI goes beyond basic chatbots, utilizing RAG technology for accurate information extraction from LTF documents and smooth EMI calculations with interactive sliders.

It also allows users to download EMI schedules, bookmark options, and provides conversational answers for better understanding.

L&T Finance Limited (LTF), headquartered in Mumbai, holds an 'AAA' credit rating, focuses on sustainability and women's empowerment through its CSR project "Digital Sakhi".

As part of its Lakshya 2026 plan, LTF aims to become a digitally enabled, customer-focused retail finance company, leveraging its 2.5 Crore customer database for growth.

 

DEFENCE

Maldives Host The 13th Edition Of The ‘Ekuverin’ Military Exercise

The 13th edition of the joint India-Maldives military exercise ‘Ekuverin’ is being hosted by Maldives from 2-15 February 2025.

The inaugural ceremony of the 13th Ekuverin exercise between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defence Forces (MNDF) was held at the Official Composite Training Center of the MNDF at Maafilaafushi in Maldives.

During the inauguration ceremony, Major General Ibrahim Hilmy, Chief of the Maldives National Defence Force, and G Balasubramanian, Indian High Commissioner, were present.

The 12th edition of the Ekuverin was held at Chaubatia in Uttarakhand from 11-24 June 2023.

The main aim of the exercise is to enhance the ability of both the defence forces to work in coordination and partnership to conduct counter-insurgency operations and to carry out joint humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

India and Maldives share a close political and defence relationship. Since 1998, defence and security cooperation has been identified as a major area of cooperation between the two countries.

 

AWARDS & PRIZES

Grammy Awards 2025

Indian-born American musician Chandrika Tandon won her first Grammy award in the ‘Best New Age Album, Ambient or Chant Album category’ for her album Triveni at the 67th Grammy Awards 2025.

This was the first Grammy Award for the 71-year-old Chandrika Tandon who was once nominated for a Grammy award in 2011 for her album Soul Call.

The 67th annual Grammy Awards function was held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the United States of America.

The Grammy Awards is considered to be one of the most prestigious awards in the music industry and is given annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in the United States of America. The first Grammy Award was given in 1959.

Album of the Year: "Cowboy Carter" – making her the first Black woman in 26 years to win this prestigious award.

Best Country Album: "Cowboy Carter" – marking her successful venture into country music.

Best Country Duo/Group Performance: "II MOST WANTED" (with Miley Cyrus) – showcasing her ability to cross genres effortlessly.

Kendrick Lamar continued his reign as a lyrical genius, winning two of the night's most coveted awards: Record of the Year: "Not Like Us" and Song of the Year: "Not Like Us"

BCCI Award 2025

Legendary Indian cricketer and Bharat Ratna awardee Sachin Tendulkar was honoured with the 2023-24 Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) in a glittering ceremony held in Mumbai on 1st February 2025.

The cricket governing body in India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), honoured the exceptional performance of Indian cricketers for the 2023-24 season at the BCCI Naman Awards 2025.

The Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award was instituted by the BCCI in honour of the legendary Indian cricketer Col. C.K. Nayudu. The first cricketer to receive the award was Lala Amarnath in 1994.

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah was honoured with the 2023-24 Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer for his outstanding performance in 2024. He took 71 wickets from 13 Tests in 2024. This was the third Polly Umrigar award for Bumrah.

Best Performance in BCCI Domestic Tournaments of 2023-24- Mumbai Cricket Association.

Award Winners of the BCCI Naman Awards 2025

Following is the list of winners of the BCCI Naman Awards 2025.

Best International Debut - Men - Sarfaraz Khan

Best International Debut - Women - Asha Sobhana

Best International Cricketer - Women - Smriti Mandhana

Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer - Men - Jasprit Bumrah

BCCI Special Award - Ravichandran Ashwin

Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award - Sachin Tendulkar

Highest wickets in ODIs 2023-24 - Women - Deepti Sharma

Highest run-getter in ODIs 2023-24 - Women - Smriti Mandhana

Best umpire in domestic cricket, 2023-24 - Akshay Totre

Best performance in BCCI domestic tournaments for events in 2023-24 - Mumbai Cricket Association

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Prime Minister of Belgium

Conservative political leader Bart De Wever was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Belgium by King Phillippe on 3rd February 2025 in a ceremony at the royal palace in Brussels.

Bart De Wever takes over as the Prime Minister from Alexander De Croo, whose seven-party coalition took 493 days to form a government in 2019-20.

De Croo had stayed on as caretaker leader after the June 2024 elections.

The government was formed in Belgium after the Parliamentary election in June 2024 and failed to give a decisive mandate to any political party or coalition of parties.

Belgium has a complicated political system, and the country is divided into Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Walloon communities.

In 2010-11 it took political parties 541 days to agree to form a government after the parliamentary election failed to give a decisive majority to a political party or a coalition.

 

SPORTS

Tata Steel Masters 2025

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa clinched the Tata Steel Masters Chess Tournament 2025, defeating world champion D. Gukesh 2-1 in a dramatic tiebreaker.

The thrilling contest saw both young prodigies engage in an intense battle after finishing the 13th and final round tied at 8.5 points each.

Praggnanandhaa won 2-1, securing his first-ever Tata Steel Masters title.

 

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day, observed annually on February 4th, is a global initiative dedicated to raising awareness, taking action, and reducing the impact of cancer worldwide.

The 2025 theme, “United by Unique,” marks the beginning of a three-year global campaign (2025-2027), emphasizing individualized care and inclusivity in cancer treatment.

The day unites individuals, communities, and governments in the fight against cancer, emphasizing prevention, early detection, and effective treatment.